Re: [tlug] google ditching windows and going for open source software

[Nguyen Vu Hung <vuhung16plus@example.com>]

Dear Professor,

On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 11:18 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull <stephen@example.com> wrote:
> Nguyen Vu Hung writes:
>
>  > The software piracy rate remains unchanged: 85% for successive 3 years.
>  > This is the figure that BSA has been reported.
>
> The BSA's numbers can be characterized as the bottom rung of "lies,
> damn lies, and statistics".  I just don't trust their numbers.
I couldn't find any other sources to cite.
A bad reported number is better nothing right?

>
>  > IMO, the rate on mid-size and small size companies are nearly 99%.
>  > Some reasons for such high rate are: Well, use get used to use it,
>  > and: Windoze, M$ Office are nearly free ( .5$ for a CD-R and 1.2$
>  > for a DVD-R)
>
> I think that DaveMG published a rant pointing out that MSFT uses this
> as an entry wedge.  Get market share to 100%, *then* raise price.
> Just wait for a couple of years, and MSFT *will* come to collect.
>
>    I've seen the needle and the damage done
>    ... and every junkie's like a setting sun
>    Oh, oh, the damage done
FYI for those who misses the thing:
http://autotelic.com/no_really_-_windows_is_free

M$ does it exactly what you have stated:

(In Vietnam) They sponsor their product with no charge to
schools/colleges/universities.
They charge Office and Windoze as low as 1-3$ for a license
for other public sector firms.

Let's see what happens a few years later when they are totally trapped.

>
>  > Is there any benefit by switching from Windows + M$ Office to Linux
>  > + OpenOffice?  For most of the companies, there are none: We face
>  > the problems of training (to use the new combo), compatibility and
>  > such.
>
> Well, aside from the legal liability, *if* you have moderately skilled
> people, it's much easier, cheaper, and more reliable to automate
> common tasks with *nix systems.
We don't have such resources.

Google could do it because most of their staffs have a MA+ or MS+
degree, if not PhD.

>I don't know much about Vietnam,
> except the occasional MBA student, but I would guess it's a country
> looking at rising levels of software skills on the supply side, and
> rising wages for office workers.
I don't have the latest statistic but 10 years ago, 90% of the population
here is farmer and/or unemployed :)

> This does require a lot of investment, though, and I would guess wages
> are still low enough that hiring another secretary is always the
> cheaper option in the short run.
Yes, yes :)

> Sill, if I were you, I'd be watching for the signs of rising value in
> streamlined workflows.
I would, but it is kinda off-topic...

-- 
Best Regards,
Nguyen Hung Vu [aka: NVH] ( in Vietnamese: Nguyễn Vũ Hưng )
vuhung16plus{remove}@example.com , YIM: vuhung16 , Skype: vuhung16plus
A brief profile: http://www.hn.is.uec.ac.jp/~vuhung/Nguyen.Vu.Hung.html